Wawrinka downs Medjedovic for historic win in Montpellier
Stan Wawrinka made history at the Open Occitanie Wednesday.
With his 7-6(3), 6-4 win over Hamad Medjedovic in the opening round, the 40-year-old, competing in his final season on Tour, became the oldest man to record a tour-level win indoors outside the Davis Cup since Ken Rosewall (45) in Melbourne in 1980.
“I always enjoy. I’m still passionate about the game,” Wawrinka said. “For me, [it] was important to keep pushing myself and trying to win as much as possible.”
The Swiss relied on his experience in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting against 22-year-old Medjedovic. He won 83 per cent (24/29) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, cruising to victory in one hour and 38 minutes. He fended off 80 per cent (4/5) of the break points he faced, including a crucial save at 5-5 30/40 in the opening set.
“It is always a pleasure to play the young generation. I was happy to face him for the first time. Tough player. I am happy with the level. It is a pleasure to be back here,” he said.
He will next play defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.
[NO 1 CLUB]Eighth seed Aleksandar Kovacevic spoiled the hopes of 16-year-old Moise Kouame on Wednesday in Montpellier, where the French teenager was aiming for his first tour-level win. Kovacevic, a finalist last year in Montpellier, rallied to a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2 victory after one hour, 54 minutes.
Kovacevic won 82 per cent of his first-serve points (41/50), according to Infosys ATP Stats, and did not face a break point until his final service game of the match, which he erased before applying the finishing touches on his fourth tour-level win of 2026.
“He was outplaying me in the first set,” Kovacevic said of Kouame. “I didn’t feel super comfortable, first match of the week. And then I got settled in a little bit and I think he dropped his level just a tad. It’s tough to play a player like that, I’ve never really seen him play at all, but definitely impressed.”
Kouame, was seeking to become the seventh man this century to win a tour-level match before his 17th birthday. The teenager advanced through qualifying, becoming the youngest man to qualify for an ATP Tour event since Rudolf Molleker in 2017.
The American will next face another French qualifier, Titouan Droguet, who beat Kovacevic 7-6(4), 7-6(8) last week at the Quimper Challenger.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]